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Pepper Pike council establishes fund to accept opioid-settlement money, approves partnership for crisis-response program
Summary
Council adopted an ordinance to create a municipal fund to accept opioid-settlement distributions and unanimously approved suspending rules so the fund takes effect immediately. Officials described a planned "First Call" program — a shared social‑work/mental‑health response resource — and said any spending will require a future appropriation.
Pepper Pike’s City Council voted Oct. 14 to create a municipal fund to accept distributions from opioid-related legal settlements and to allow the city to participate in a shared crisis-response program.
Council members moved to suspend the rules and adopted the corrected ordinance number for the municipal fund. Staff and police representatives described a planned partnership that would let the city purchase access to a shared social-worker/mental-health professional to coordinate with first responders on calls involving people in crisis. Lieutenant Jim Colbert, who sat in for Chief Dietz, said the model began in neighboring Shaker Heights and would be shared among several nearby communities so costs are split.
City staff said establishing the fund is a legal prerequisite to receiving settlement dollars; any actual spending from that fund will require a separate appropriation by council. During the meeting staff estimated Pepper Pike’s early payments would be modest — “roughly $10 to $15,000 for the first few years,” said staff — and pointed councilmembers to the 1 Ohio Recovery Foundation website for additional information about eligibility and timelines as discussed in the meeting.
Council members asked whether the dollars are limited to addiction treatment; staff replied the settlement referenced in the meeting (referred to during discussion as the “1 Ohio” settlement) allows several categories of eligible expenditures and is broader than solely addiction treatment. The mayor and staff characterized the proposed "First Call" program as a supplement to existing emergency response, intended to provide on‑scene assessment and help connect residents with ongoing services.
The council’s action created the fund and made it effective immediately by suspending the usual rules; it did not appropriate money for program expenses. Council members and staff emphasized that an appropriation vote will be required before any dollars are spent. The clerk verified the ordinance number on the floor as 2025‑19 before the adoption roll call.
The city said it will pursue the shared program with neighboring jurisdictions and return to council with appropriation requests and further program details in a subsequent meeting.
